


Home Alone

by glitteredsins, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Chris Hemsworth and Matt Czuchry [18]
Category: Actor RPF, Australian Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), The Resident (TV 2018) RPF, Thor (Movies) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-11-02 08:07:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20678390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitteredsins/pseuds/glitteredsins, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica
Summary: This is a re-posting (archiving) of all logs for the Chris Hemsworth/Matt Czuchry storyline in the BDSM RPS RPGCitadel.





	Home Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-posting (archiving) of all logs for the Chris Hemsworth/Matt Czuchry storyline in the BDSM RPS RPG [Citadel](http://citadel.dreamwidth.org/read).

The previous day Matt and Chris had spent the entire day with Luca, a family breakfast followed by some time in the garden, collecting eggs and picking some flowers for the breakfast table had set the pace for a busy day. All of it centered around Luca, enabling Chris to continue to build and strengthen his relationship with the toddler.

They'd fallen into bed early, worn out by the small boy's seemingly endless energy.

It's Matt that stirs first, it's just getting light out and he needs to piss, so he slips from the bed and takes care of that before deciding to go and make them both some fresh coffee. He figures they can both go back to sleep if they really want to.

Chris is used to feeling exhausted from a hard day's work or a day spent riding the waves at the beach. What he's not used to is feeling similarly exhausted from spending a full-on day with a toddler, his experience of his brother's kids limited to hours at a time. Not that he's having any regrets or second thoughts, hell no. But he can easily imagine what it'll be like if they add another to the mix and hopes he and Matt will prove as good a team as Luke and his wife. It certainly seems like it. Rolling over to find the bed empty, he lifts his head and stares blearily at the clock and then the door to the ensuite. It's open, the lights off, which means Matt's up. And which means he should probably join him. Which he will... in a few seconds...

Matt leans against the countertop staring out of the window, watching the colors of the sky change as the sun slowly rises. He spares a glance or two at the coffee machine as it brews but mostly he just enjoys the moment, content in a way he can't recall ever feeling before. He'd been happy enough with Dylan, had loved him deeply and had been over the moon when their family plans had come to fruition, but this, what he's building with Chris... it's different, it _feels_ different, he wonders if that's because of the heartbreak he'd endured when Dylan left, or if his relationship with Chris just /is/ so unique. Whichever it is, he's happy, really fucking happy, and yesterday had simply affirmed it, watching his lover with his son, watching the large, loud man crawling around on the floor with Luca as they'd role played lions and tigers, or when Chris had scooped Luca up into his arms to lift him close enough to watch a colorful beetle climbing up a tree trunk. There had also been many cuddles and kisses between Chris and Luca, whispered conversations and laughter, all of which had Matt had watched, enchanted.

The coffee machine finishes its work and he pours them both a mug, fixing their drinks according to their tastes, then he carries the coffee back to the bedroom. When he re-enters the room it's to find Chris has moved, rolled over, his arm flung out over the empty space he'd left behind. He sets the mugs down and climbs back in, snugging up to his still sleeping lover.

"Mm. You're back," Chris mumbles, throwing his arm around Matt and pulling him in closer, a kiss pressed to the nearest patch of skin. "Everything okay?" The scent of freshly-brewed coffee only now sinking in.

"As if I'd go far with you in my bed," Matt murmurs, nuzzling back. "I got up to pee then thought I could make us coffee," he adds. "I love this time of day, it's so quiet and the sky is beautiful."

Chris smiles. "It's really quiet up here," he says, eyes fully open now, his gaze intent on Matt. "I like it. LA's so noisy. The ocean drowns out some of it but actual peace and quiet is nearly impossible."

"I know, it's one of the reasons I chose this room as mine, it gets the sun and I can push the windows open to enjoy it." Reaching out, he trails his fingers over Chris's face, "So it feels like home here?"

Chris nods, brushing his lips across those fingers when they near. "It does. Very much." He smiles.

"Yeah?" Matt's face lights up in a happy smile. "And I've barely cleared you any space in the closet," he teases quietly.

"I don't need much to be happy," Chris responds, a little more solemnly, his eyes warm on Matt, definitely not just talking about closets.

"Just a warm bed, an eager lover and a small boy?" Matt's smile softens, he's beginning to treasure these intimate moments shared in their bed.

"Exactly," Chris says with a grin, pulling Matt in even closer and kissing him softly, leisurely. The words right there again. And this time he takes the leap. "I love you."

Matt sucks in a breath at those words. Words he hadn't expected to hear any time soon if ever, but he can see in Chris's eyes that it's true, it's real. There's a part of him that wants to turn and run, the last time he loved someone he was betrayed, abandoned with no explanation, no way of understanding if he had been at fault. But Chris? Chris is so different from Dylan, he's open, down to earth and he's been honest with Matt at every stage of this insane relationship. Curling his fingers to cup the side of Chris's face he leans in and brushes his lips over his lover's. "I think I love you too," he whispers.

It's not at all what Chris had expected to hear. That easy acceptance, those words returned. He blinks, his eyes suddenly wet, and pulls Matt in even closer, kissing him back, pouring everything he's feeling into it.

And Matt returns it, it feels like a wall has come down, one built out of necessity after Dylan had abandoned him and their infant son, a wall that had enabled him to keep functioning, keep putting one step in front of the other for the sake of Luca. A wall Chris has chipped away at since the day they'd met, his warmth, his humour, his authenticity, his generous affection until this moment; when they've taken this leap together, nestled in the quiet intimacy of their bed.

When they break for breath, Chris smiles. "I thought for sure I was going to freak you out," he confesses.

"Who says you didn't?" Matt smiles, humor lacing his words. "It's your thing, you've freaked me out at every turn since the day you burst into that meeting. Thing is, I've just learned to trust you, to know that no matter how freaked out I am, you're right there with me."

"I am," Chris nods, smiling back. "And it means the world to me to have your trust." A moment's pause before he adds, "I feel like you really see me, that you get who I am."

"Maybe because I've not really seen you in your professional space?" Matt offers, "So I've had time to get to know the real you before I have to deal with Chris the Movie Star. I imagine it would be harder to get to know you if I had had to work past that facade."

"I hope I'm not that different in my professional space," Chris says, still holding Matt close. "You'll have to let me know when we take our honeymoon."

"I shall take notes," Matt promises with a grin, seeking out another kiss before asking for clarification, "So is this different then? If you think I really see you?" He doesn't want to say Henry's name, but it's clear that's what he's angling for, some reassurance.

Chris nods, although it pains him to admit it. "You know who you are," he says softly. "You know what you need, what you want, what you've been missing in your life, but you were already complete when we met. We're two whole people coming together to form something even stronger and that's what I need, and I don't think I spent enough time thinking about what _I_ needed with Henry."

"I'm not sure I was complete, Chris, I'd shut down my sexuality, my need for sexual intimacy." His fingers keep moving over Chris's skin as he speaks, unconsciously tracing the dips and planes of his lover's body. "But yes, I'm my own person, I can function and be happy without a lover." He kisses the corner of Chris's mouth. "Is this what you needed? Or is there more?"

"This, you, Luca, all of it," Chris nods. "I need you. I want you. I want our family. I fell for you the moment I saw you from that boardroom doorway and then instead of some rude awakening, things only got better and better. I love being with you, whether it's playing with Luca, taking a walk on the beach, making dinner together or fucking our brains out. I am so happy and I can hardly wait to be your husband, to see what the rest of our life together has in store for us."

"And the things we talked about the things you wanted from a relationship, in that first week, are they still the same? Or has anything changed?" Matt sidesteps a little, giving himself a little time to digest what Chris just shared.

"They're still the same," Chris says, brushing his lips across the corner of Matt's mouth. "I want us to do what works for us and I don't care what anyone else thinks. I'd love us to have at least one more kid but whether they're from the eggs you have or we have to adopt, I'm good with anything, and if you change your mind or it doesn't work out, I'll be fine with that too. Luca's amazing. And I adore Kate. I know we're getting married and I know we're a 'real' couple now but she was here first and she's such a huge part of your and Luca's life. I don't expect that to change unless it's something she wants."

"You are an amazing man," Matt whispers. "I mean it, to accept what we have here, to embrace it like you have, to take joy in it," he pauses. "I'm glad we jumped together."

"Me too," Chris whispers back, kissing Matt more firmly this time. "So glad." And again, his hands sliding down Matt's back, pulling him in close.

"Make love to me." Matt nips at Chris's lower lip as he makes his demand, winds his arm around Chris and starts to move against him, rubbing skin to skin.

Chris rolls Matt onto his back and deepens their kisses, tongue delving into his mouth, his cock swelling to full hardness again. Kisses his way down Matt's throat to his chest, nipping lightly at his skin.

"When..." Matt pauses to lick the taste of Chris from his lips, "when we're married, when we have some time on our own, can we spend an entire day in bed?" He can't think of anything more decadent than spending an entire 24 hours naked, indulging only in sensual pursuits. "Please?"

Chris lifts his head, smiling down at Matt. "Yes. In fact, I'll make sure we get a couple of days before I start work, and we'll spend at least one of them in bed, ordering up room service whenever we get hungry."

"Naked and fucking?" Matt's eyes sparkle with amusement.

"Yes, naked and fucking," Chris says with a laugh, dropping down to lightly bite at a nipple. "I want to get my mouth on every inch of you."

The bite elicits a low growl. "As if I could stop you," Matt huffs out, one hand in Chris's short hair, his fingers kneading his lover's scalp. "I love my son..." he stops before trying again, "I love _our_ son, but I'm craving some adult time."

Chris stops again for a moment, looking up at Matt. "We could grab a night or two at the beach house," as they've been referring to his old place, now their second home, "before I head off. If Kate's willing to watch Luca."

"I'll talk to her," Matt nods, his thumb rubbed against Chris's lower lip, he really should be trying to write, but all that has happened in the last couple of months he's finding it hard to sit down and concentrate. One thing Matt has learned in his writing career is trying to force the muse to work is entirely counterproductive, he has to sit with it and let his mind, his life, settle back down into some sort of routine so he can pick up where he left off.

Chris nods. "Okay," he says with a smile, licking Matt's thumb before he drops down and bites at that same nipple again, and then the other, mouth moving over Matt's skin, teeth grazing bone, muscle, flesh.

It's intoxicating to be worshipped like this, and that's exactly what it feels like to Matt, that Chris is worshipping his body with his hands and mouth. He writhes under those clever fingers, gasps, and groans at the play of teeth. His cock jerks against his belly every time Chris finds a particularly sensitive spot, leaving silver smears of precum. Looking down the bed Matt takes in the mussed bed sheets, all rumpled from their movements, the early morning light that plays off the rise of Chris's very pert ass presented so beautifully by an arched back. "Oh fuck yes... Chris, Chris please..." he murmurs, as ever, not really certain at all about what it is he's asking for.

It's early enough Chris knows they have some time and he takes advantage of it, licking lower, tongue and hands moving over Matt's body, over his groin, his thighs, his lover's legs pushed up so he can get at his hole, lapping at the tight pucker.

"Motherfuckin..." the cursing becomes a strangled noise of want and Matt snatches at the covers, pulling them up and around his head and shoulders, one knuckle stuffed into his mouth as he smothers himself in warm bedlinen.

The response only makes Chris harder, his own cock dripping, hanging hard and heavy between his thighs. He licks deeper, spearing his tongue into Matt, forcing the muscle to loosen.

Nothing that comes from Matt's mouth is coherent from this here on out, the noises are a litany of grunts, groans and the keening sound of a man being pushed to his limits.

Chris fucks Matt's hole open with his tongue, stabbing into his body again and again, before he finally rises up, reaching over for the lube left on the bedside table, his cock slicked and two fingers pushed inside his lover, making sure he's good and ready.

"Just fuck me," Matt snaps out, his tone entirely demanding, "Stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing you," Chris says, freeing his fingers and sitting back on his heels. "I'm making sure I won't hurt you, so we can keep doing this."

"Why did you stop?" Matt drags the covers off his face. "Fuck Chris... please... I feel like my fucking cock is going to explode."

"Because you were being so demanding," Chris says, the twinkle in his eye making it clear he's teasing. Mostly. He drops forward and gathers both Matt's wrists in one large hand, pinning them to the bed above him. "Say it again," he growls softly, his other hand guiding his cock to Matt's hole, the thick head nudged against his slick entrance. "Say please..."

At that moment Matt has no name for what he experiences as Chris pins him down and speaks to him in _that_ tone, all he knows is his belly flips over, turning liquid, his cock flexes hard and his face flushes and he has to lick his lips before he can speak. "Please Chris," he manages in a voice gone rough. "Please fuck me."

Every suspicion he had confirmed in an instant, Chris's breath catches hard in his throat, his cock throbbing violently against his fingers. He nods and presses slowly in, their eyes locked, the tight wet heat making his head swim. Fuck. "You feel so good," he whispers, sinking in, his pace achingly slow, tormenting both of them in this moment.

Matt moves his hips, hoping to entice Chris to go deeper, even as he holds that intense gaze. He can't pull his attention away from the way Chris is pushing his wrists against the bed and he pushes back, just a little to test Chris's resolve.

Chris holds fast, tightening his grip and keeping Matt pinned, pushing all the way in, his cock buried as deep as he can before he pulls back and thrusts in again, sinking deep in one movement this time.

Matt is so turned on he can't even think straight, let alone tell Chris how good this is, so he simply submits to how Chris is using his body.

Chris drops down for a kiss, his thrusts picking up speed, his cock plunged into Matt's body again and again, his whole body aching with pleasure. His free hand snakes between them, fingers wrapping around Matt's erection, stroking in time to his thrusts.

"Oh! No! Oh fuck..." Matt's eyes widen as his orgasm slams into him with little warning, his ass contracts around Chris's cock, his body shuddering.

Thick white coating his hand, Chris thrusts against the clench of Matt's body, the friction mind-blowing as he follows Matt over, teeth gritted against crying out, determined not to break the early morning quiet of the house.

Matt is overwhelmed, by the very visceral physical responses of his body; the shuddering, the shaking, the way his vision seems to have narrowed and the incredible pleasure still lighting up each and every nerve. He's also overwhelmed emotionally, not yet able to engage his intellectual brain to figure out what he just experienced at Chris's hands, he's dazed and not a little confused.

Stilling finally, Chris unwraps his fingers from Matt's wrists and cock and drops down, covering his lover with his body and kissing him softly. "Good morning to us," he whispers, smiling.

And it's Chris that grounds him, the kiss, the whispered words, but above all that smile. Slowly bringing his arms from above his head, Matt shakes out his hands before running them along Chris's sides, he makes some unintelligible noise of agreement and closes his eyes, clearly blissed out.

"I love you," Chris whispers, unable to stop smiling. He eases out and shifts to the side, gathering Matt in tight to his chest, closing his own eyes. It's early still and they've no place to be... until their human alarm clock comes calling.

///

They'd fallen back to sleep, tangled together, wrapped in the bed sheets, which is just as well given Luca bursts into their room just before eight in the morning.

"Daddy!" he yells, climbing up onto the bed and trying to wiggle his way into the tiny gap between Chris and Matt. "Morning Daddy Kis," he pats at them both enthusiastically.

"Lulu!" Matt groans. "Do you need to be so loud?" he grumbles, rubbing a hand over his face and peering up at his far too awake son.

Chris chuckles, pulling Luca in for a hug and a kiss before reaching for the shorts he'd left beside the bed the night before and sneaking them on under the covers. "Hey, buddy, why don't we go get breakfast and give Daddy a few minutes to wake up?" A glance at Matt to make sure that's alright.

"Yeah go," Matt nods, reaching out to give Chris a grateful pat. "Pop some coffee on, I'll need a shower." Matt doesn't need to lift the sheets to look to know he's covered in cum, his own and Chris's. In fact, he thinks the room itself probably smells a little ripe. "Chris, you'll need to take his night time diaper off and let him use the bathroom," he reminds his lover, barely pausing to register the contrast between hot as hell sex and the mundane toileting of a toddler.

"Yup, I'm on it," Chris says with a smile, tucking Luca under one arm, the toddler giggling away as Chris bends down to give Matt a quick kiss before they leave the room.

Only when he's alone does Matt lift the sheeting to look at himself. As he suspected his belly is covered in dried semen, and he doesn't need to move to know there's a damp patch under his ass. Matt grins to himself, not at all perturbed at the state of him, or their bed, just thankful he's found someone who he can be so... free with, someone he can let all his guards down with. Shuffling out of bed he quickly strips it of the soiled bedclothes and opens a window, only then does he shower.

In the meantime, Chris changes Luca out of his bedtime diaper and lets him use the potty, the two of them singing 'row, row, row your boat' while he does. Apparently it helps. His bottom wiped, dried and pjs put back on, they wash their hands at the sink, dry them on the hand towel and head for the kitchen where Chris makes up a bowl of cereal with milk along with another bowl of sliced strawberries to go with it. He puts a fresh pot of coffee on, only then remembering there's two mugs of now cold coffee in the bedroom. Oh, well, he'll get them later. He sits down at the table with Luca and sneaks a strawberry, grinning at the little boy. His son. "What do you want to do today?"

"Swimming," Luca says, using his spoon to drown his cereal.

Chris has been promising to take Luca and he supposes today would be as good a day as any. Maybe give Matt some time on his own. "I don't know if there's any hours today. Let me check," he says, quickly thumbing through the schedule for the nearest community centre on his phone. "There's rec swim from ten to twelve," he says.

"Swimming!" Luca yells, hands waving, oaties flung across the room.

"Yeah, swimming," Chris says with a laugh, reaching out to guide Luca's hand back to the table. "Keep your spoon in your bowl though." He gets up and collects the cereal while he remembers where it went.

"Are we going swimming?" Matt asks as he steps into the kitchen, the two mugs full of cold coffee caught in one hand, his free hand smothering a yawn. "Is that today's plan?" For a moment he wonders what Chris is doing until he spies splashes of milk on the table top.

"I thought we could. I could take him on my own or we could all go," Chris says, oaties in hand as he drops another kiss on Matt's mouth.

"Would you like to take him out on your own?" Matt asks, stepping past Luca who's busy shoving cereal into his mouth, he winks at his son before tipping the cold coffee away and rinsing out the mugs to reuse them.

"I wouldn't mind," Chris says, eager to show he can be trusted with Luca. "I thought it'd give you some writing time or just time to yourself. You'd need to help me pack up his bag, but once I've done it once, I'll remember what's needed."

"So long as it's okay with the boss, it's cool with me," Matt nods, refilling both mugs and moving to sit down at the table. "Lulu, do you want to go swimming with just Chris? And Daddy stays home?"

Luca looks between Matt and Chris as he chomps his food then he nods. "Yes, swim with Kis," he agrees.

"Do you guys ever take him to M-C-D-O-N-A-L-D-S?" Chris asks, spelling it out. Careful to make sure Luca's not really listening before he adds, "I noticed they had a huge jungle gym inside and they have some healthy options for kid's meals."

"We haven't, but I don't mind, Kate and I would prefer it just didn't become a habit," Matt sips his coffee before he frowns. "Sorry, that was rude. You're entitled to have an opinion on this now, Chris, so it's your call, okay?"

Chris nods. "Don't worry. It's not my first choice either but I don't really know what's kid-friendly or not around here, or how Luca and I will do on our own, so it seems like the easiest first adventure. Swimming and fast food." He grins at Matt. "I'll have him home for his nap."

"If he starts getting naughty it'll be because he's tired," Matt reaches out to smooth Luca's fine blond hair from his forehead. "You promise to be a good boy for Chris because he's allowed to tell you off just like Daddy and Bunny do if you're not, okay? He's the boss today." He grins when Luca nods, his eyes wide, "Okay, good boy. When you've finished your breakfast we can go pack your swim bag."

"I'm going to grab a quick shower but can you wait til I'm out to pack?" Chris asks, taking another sip of his coffee, determined this cup won't go to waste. "I want to make sure I know where everything is."

"I'll make us some eggs and toast while you shower," Matt smiles, loving how Chris is clearly excited about his day out with Luca.

"That would be great. Thanks," Chris says, smiling back. He gets to his feet and drops a kiss on Luca's head and Matt's mouth, detouring to the sink to rinse his mug and place it in the dishwasher before heading for their room.

Matt watches Chris go with a smile on his face, then he turns to Luca and leans in. "How lovely is Chris huh?" he whispers at his son, "Daddy loves Chris, and Chris loves Daddy, isn't that wonderful?" he grins.

"Yes Daddy," Luca nods, patting Matt's face. "I love Kis," he adds.

"And Chris loves you too," Matt nods.

Chris brushes his teeth, trims his beard and then showers, humming happily as he washes the last of the dried semen and lube from his skin. He picks out a pair of worn soft blue jeans and a moss green henley over a white cotton tee, pulling clean socks and underwear from his designated drawer. He grabs his knapsack and packs it with his swim trunks, flip flops and a beach towel, and then pads back out to the kitchen, making funny faces at Luca as soon as the toddler spies him.

Matt's stood at the stove finishing up some scrambled eggs, toast already done, buttered and set on plates, he looks over when Luca starts to chuckle. His laughter is that uninhibited belly laughter only small children do and Matt can't help but grin at the sound. "Is Daddy Chris being silly?" he asks Luca.

Luca nods. "Don't be silly Daddy Kis!" he orders, waving his spoon at Chris.

"What, like this?" Chris sticks his thumbs in his ears, wiggles his fingers, crosses his eyes and sticks out his tongue.

Luca laughs so hard and so long it almost sounds like he might cry so Chris wisely stops. "Do you want down from there?" he asks, noting Luca's finished his breakfast. "Or do you want to stay at the table while we eat?"

"Down please," Luca demands, his spoon clattering on the tabletop as he lets go of it.

"Okay Lulu, but I don't want you out of our sight," Matt throws over his shoulder as he spoons egg onto plates. "Soon as we've had our breakfast we'll pack your swim bag," he explains.

Chris helps Luca down, scooping up oaties from his chair and moving his breakfast dishes to the sink.

Matt takes their plates and silverware to the table and sets them down, all the while watching Chris as he tidies up after Luca. "You're a natural you know," he says softly when Chris pulls out a seat and joins him.

"At what?" Chris asks with a smile.

"Being a dad, being Luca's Dad," Matt replies, caught up once more in Chris's smile. _And Henry was a fool._

Chris grins. "Thanks. He seems to have accepted me really easily," he says, digging into his eggs, thrilled with Matt's comment.

"He's an easy going child, and you've got the magic touch, not everyone can talk to children, they more often talk down to them," Matt observes between mouthfuls. "It really didn't take you more than about ten minutes before you got down on the floor to his level."

"Of course," Chris says with a grin, his eyes sparkling. "That's where the fun is."

Matt snorts at that and rolls his eyes. "You're incorrigible." Though it's clear from his tone he's not complaining. He glances over at Luca who's sat on the floor by the door, playing with a toy truck and a stuffed giraffe, happy in his own company.

"Only a little," Chris says happily, making quick work of his eggs and spreading jam on his toast. "Do you want to ask Kate about the weekend if you get a chance?"

"Yeah, I'll ask her when I see her later," Matt nods, sipping coffee and eating his toast. "What will the time difference be? Where you're going?"

Chris makes a face. "Thirteen and a half hours. We're mostly in Ahmedabad with a couple of days in Mumbai at the end. All the same timezone."

"That's crappy," Matt agrees with Chris's apparent displeasure. "I guess it would be easiest for me to fit around what times you're able to talk, I can work and sleep whenever I need."

"Are you sure? I've already been messing with your writing mojo," Chris points out.

"And that is something I need to sort out, this is going to be my new normal. Before I met you I could hide here for weeks on end with just Luca and Kate for company but that's not my life now. I have to get used to you being away, to handling long distances and the attendant time zone issues. The sooner I get on that the better," Matt explains.

Chris nods. "Okay. I would guess I'd be back at the hotel most nights for ten or so, so around 8:30 in the morning your time would work." Which, put that way, doesn't sound that bad.

"And you'd get to Skype with Lulu," Matt points out, draining the last dregs of his coffee. "Shall we?" He pushes up, picking up the plates to clear them away.

"Yeah." Chris nods, excited anew about his day out with Luca. "Do we have swim diapers or do I need to make a stop?"

"I'll have to check," Matt grins, amused that Chris would even think about that. Having cleared away and scooped Luca up for cuddles they make for the bedroom.

"Okay," Matt puts his son down and plucks a bag off a hook on the back of the bedroom door. "Luca, can you find your swim shorts?" he asks, always ready to encourage independence.

"Swimming!" Luca shouts, waving his hands around before pulling on one of the brightly coloured drawers that house his clothes. "In here," he points, pulling out the entire contents of the drawer. When he spies the blue and white striped shorts he picks them out and throws them at Chris.

Chris catches them, folds them in half and puts them in the bag Matt gave him. "Flip flops and a towel?"

It takes just five minutes to get all Luca's things packed and him in a matching pair of shoes.

"You've got everything there, I think," Matt hands the bag off to Chris who has Luca on his hip. "Luca, please be a very good boy for Daddy Chris because I know you'll both have lots of fun." He leans in to press a kiss to Luca's cheek before turning his face up to Chris's. "Take care with our boy," he whispers as he presses a chaste kiss on Chris's mouth.

"I will," Chris promises, pulling Matt back in to steal one more kiss. "We'll be back for naptime," he says, mouthing 'love you' as they head out the door.

Matt leans against the doorframe watching until the car has disappeared down the drive and out of sight. On one hand, he can't help but feel just a little nervous at letting Chris have Luca on his own, but on the other, he's so incredibly happy that Chris and Luca are bonding, that Chris seems such a natural, and that Chris _loves_ him.


End file.
